Every year, for 4-6 days, a fog rolls in and out over the United Arab Emirates capital before 9AM—engulfing the modern cityscape, only to leave the tallest skyscrapers visible ‘above the clouds’.

When that happened this year, German photographer Sebastian Opitz—who has been living in Dubai for over four years—was on the 85th floor of the Princess Tower in the Dubai Marina hours ahead, in the small hours, waiting to capture the magical event.

Of which, he was successful; and brings us an absolutely surreal series of a metropolis in the sky.

His series, he dubs ‘Cloud City’, features the brief moment the mist fills up the empty spaces between the towering buildings—offering viewers a tranquil and dreamy impression of the desert city.

“During the foggy season, I [checked] the weather conditions every night and if it [looked] promising, I will make sure to be on top of a tower by around 4AM,” Opitz told Daily Mail Online. “By 9AM the fog [would] have evaporated, so rising early is crucial.”

“It takes a lot of dedication and a good portion of luck to take such pictures. It is so uplifting to be up there during these weather conditions, and being able to capture the moment with your camera after weeks of waiting for the right conditions is more than satisfying.”

The photographer also created a time-lapse video of the fog, watch it below: